The Natural History of British Grasses. 541 



this was never well received, but viewed as iinpossible by the 

 species-maker ; however, actual experiment has at length demon- 

 strated its truth, and it may just be mentioned that a confirmation 

 of this has in the mean time been arrived at by a different process, 

 which we can now only shortly detail. 



On the examination of stray plants of oats from shed seeds, 

 where the year before oats had been the crop, examples are not 

 uncommon with a few hairs at the base of the floret, whilst the 

 awn will be mostly stifFer than those in the crop ; and this on 

 thin soils, where wild oat is not usual as a weed. Again on stiff 

 clays, in whicli the weed prevails, many intermediate forms or 

 degrees of wildness will be observable, perhaps derivable from 

 the cultivated oats brought to the soil in manures. 



But further, if we examine oats grown on good oat-lands, we 

 are aware of the following characteristics — a greater weight to 

 the bushel, and a more plump grain with a finer coat and the 

 awns scarcely more than bristles ; and, as we know from observa- 

 tion, tliese qualities are immediately reversed if we sow good oats 

 from a favourable oat- soil in a district unfavourable to the growth 

 of this corn. 



Here, then, the result of our experiments and observations is 

 to show that the wild oat by cultivation will yield different sorts 

 of a cultivated or crop oat ; so that new varieties, and that direct 

 from the original source, are easily attainable ; and also that the 

 cultivated oat mny degenerate into the wild form from wliich it 

 has sprung, and in some soils in a very short space of time.* 



A. strif/osa, Yilie fatua, is in all probability derived from some 

 cultivated form, or, as Professor Lindley has hinted, it may be the 

 wild form from which some cultivated examples have been derived ; 

 it is only found as an agrarian, and that very rarely, being more 

 common in Scotland than in England, its place with us being 

 su])i)lied by the A. fatua. 



Avena pratensis, in the stiff untractable land In which it delights 

 to grow, can only be considered as a pasture weed, whicli, how- 

 ever, can soon be got rid of by draining and better cultivation ; 

 in short, whatever tends to the amelioration of the soil will qui( kly 

 cause it to die out. It is too harsh to be eaten by cattle, so that 

 it is fortunate tliat it is seldom to be met with in large quantities, 

 being by far the rarer form of the meadow species. 



A. jmbesceiis. — Besides its general pubescence, this is well dis- 

 tinguished from tlie preceding by its very short upper leaves, 

 wliich, when compared with A. pratensis, may be estimated as 

 foUows : — 



* In this Report several curious botanical changes which took place as tlie expe- 

 riment progri'SSfd luive not ln'cn noticed, as they would unnecessarily burden the 

 subject for the general reader. 



VOL, XV n. 2 



